


that look in your eye is my elixir, and i'm drunk

by fallingforboys



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Human, Barista Brett Talbot, Barista Derek Hale, Barista Theo Raeken, Derek Hale & Theo Raeken Friendship, F/M, Liam is shameless, M/M, Soft Theo Raeken, Teacher Liam, Theo Raeken & Brett Talbot Friendship, Theo Raeken Needs a Hug, but Theo doesn't hate it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-05
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-17 16:53:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29228772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fallingforboys/pseuds/fallingforboys
Summary: Theo was having a terrible morning.First, he slept through his alarm– all six of them– and he had to rush in order to make it work on time. And his neighbor’s dog somehow ended up on his balcony (for the fifth time, seriously, if it happened again, Theo might actually put superglue on his paws and stick him to his neighbor’s balcony), and it took twenty minutes to get him back to his owner, and by that time, Theo was definitely late.
Relationships: Alec/Lori Talbot, Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Liam Dunbar/Theo Raeken, Nolan/Brett Talbot
Comments: 26
Kudos: 149





	1. Chapter 1

Theo was having a _terrible_ morning. 

First, he slept through his alarm– all _six_ of them– and he had to rush in order to make it work on time. And his neighbor’s dog somehow ended up on _his_ balcony (for the _fifth_ time, seriously, if it happened again, Theo might actually put superglue on his paws and stick him to his neighbor’s balcony), and it took twenty minutes to get him back to his owner, and by that time, Theo was _definitely_ late. Then, when he pulled into the parking lot of the local coffee shop he worked at, his usual spot was _taken_ by some _asshole_ , and Theo had to park somewhere _else_ , and he hated it. And so by the time he finally got through the door, his business partner (okay, so Theo might not just _work_ there, he also kind of owns it) was giving him a glare that he knew meant that Derek was barely holding back from strangling him. 

“I know, I know, I’m late, but it’s not even my fault,” Theo muttered, going to the back to throw his keys and hoodie into his locker, grabbing his apron. “Nate’s dog was on my balcony again.”

“Have you considered investing in superglue?” Derek asked him dryly as he refilled the syrup containers. Theo snorted, pushing his apron over his head as he made his way back to the front. It was times like these when Theo remembered why him and Derek were best friends. 

Theo flipped the sign on the door to open, before running a hand through his hair, hesitating before he asked a question that had been on his mind for a few weeks now. “Have you ever thought about hiring more people?”

“No.” Derek’s eyes flickered to Theo as he sorted through the various creamers in the mini-fridge under the counter. “But I agree that we should.” The older man had a way of knowing what Theo was saying, even though he was typically super vague. 

“Should we put up a–”

The door opened, the bells at the top ringing softly, and Theo turned to the customer, putting on his best “I don’t hate everyone” smile. “Good morning, what can I get for you today?”

The guy that had entered didn’t respond, his blue eyes roaming the cafe. Eventually, his gaze landed on Theo, who was trying not to get irritated, because this was a _customer_ , but it was too goddamn early for this shit. The blond had a small smirk on his face, as he noticed both Theo and Derek staring at him. 

“I need a job.”

Theo exchanged a look with Derek, who shrugged slightly, and he turned back to the tall blond standing in the middle of the cafe, acting like he owned it. Theo could tell that whoever he was, he could stand to get knocked down a couple of pegs. “And why are you telling _us_ this?”

The guy crossed his arms over his chest, the smirk on his face unwavering. “Cause you guys need the help.”

“What makes you think that?” Theo retorted, because _yeah,_ he was right, but that didn’t mean he’d just give the job to any random stranger that walked through the door. 

“Because I came in here yesterday and you two were so busy running your asses around that you didn’t see me waiting for ten minutes trying to order.”

Derek and Theo both winced. They were big on customer service, even though both of them personally weren’t huge fans of _people_. They exchanged another look– either they were going to have to give this guy a heavy discount or hire him. 

“What experience do you have?” Derek asked, and Theo let his friend conduct the mini-interview as he went to the back, pulling out one of the aprons they had in the storage closet. He had a feeling that the guy would be hired, if only for the fact that they were pretty desperate for the help. 

He made his way back just in time to hear the guy say, “I’m Brett.” Theo threw the apron at his face, Brett catching it easily.

“Well, Brett, let’s hope you know your shit, because rush hour’s about to start. If you can’t handle rush hour, you’re fired.”

The blond’s lips quirked up as he put the apron on. “Are you always this friendly in the morning?”

“I don’t need to be friendly with you, just the customers,” Theo spat out, but Brett didn’t look offended, in fact, he looked pretty amused. Theo was beginning to realize that might just be his natural state. 

“How do you put up with him?” he asked Derek and Theo could see that his friend was holding back a small smile. Great, five minutes and Brett had already made Derek smile. The older man didn’t let his amusement show often, and the fact that he did five minutes after meeting Brett meant that the blond was staying. _Great._

“How about you shut the fuck up and just stand at the cash register like you’re supposed to?” Theo more demanded than asked, and Derek’s lips twitched again. Brett raised his hands in surrender, but the smile on his face didn’t drop. 

A few minutes later, people began trickling in, the first signs of rush hour showing, and the next two hours were _hell_. And though Theo hated to admit it, having Brett work the register _was_ helpful, having two people making drinks was a _lot_ better than one. When the rush had slowed down, the peak hours ending, Theo finally made himself a coffee. He hadn’t eaten anything since waking up, and the hot drink subdued at least a little of his hunger. 

A protein bar was suddenly shoved in his face. Theo glanced up to see Derek looking at him with a raised eyebrow. He sighed and grabbed the bar, ripping it open. “Thanks.”

Derek nodded, not saying anything as he went back to making the drink he had been working on. Theo wasn’t… the _best_ at taking care of himself, an unfortunate habit he’s had since his childhood, ever since his sister had died in a car crash and his parents had told him to pack his bags. They had always liked Tara more, didn’t even _try_ to be subtle in their favoritism, and when she had died, they decided that there was no point keeping Theo around. So they drove to a town three hours away, dropped him off at the first orphanage they could find, and left. He had only been nine years old.

Clearly, Theo’s had a _wonderful_ childhood.

It forced him to grow up quickly, to learn that people aren’t always who they seem to be, that they tend to leave more often than not. It also made him a little careless with _himself_ , and it wasn’t uncommon for Theo to skip meals for _days_ growing up. He wasn’t proud of it, but he just _forgot_ to eat. His life was shitty, and he always had a lot on his mind, food being the _last_. 

And then he met Derek. Theo had needed an apartment, had left the orphanage, and came back to Beacon Hills, the only home he remembered. Derek had taken one look at him, hauled him into the apartment– that was more like a penthouse if Theo was being honest– and forced him to eat leftover pasta he had sitting in the fridge. After that, he made a phone call, and ten minutes later, Theo was standing in a brand new apartment. Apparently, Derek’s uncle owned the building. 

It said a lot about how _bad_ he looked that _Derek_ took one look at him and pitied him. Things between them were tense at first, but eventually, they opened up to each other, in their allergic-to-emotions type of way. Turns out, they had a lot more in common than just their stoic exteriors. And then they started tossing around the idea of starting a business– Peter really was _loaded_ – and soon they had Cafe Elixir up and running. 

And now, Derek always knew when Theo didn’t eat, knew when he was skipping meals on accident. And Theo could tell when Derek was reliving his memories, the way his eyes would glaze over for just a second, before he blinked, and everything was back to normal. Their friendship _worked_ , and Theo was grateful that he had at least one good thing in his life.

Theo shook his head slightly, breaking free of his thoughts. He blinked a few times to get rid of the blur in his eyes, and he saw Brett staring at him, his eyebrows furrowed just enough that Theo could tell he was curious, but there was something underneath it, something like… _understanding_. 

“What?” Theo snapped, and for the first time since he walked in, Brett didn’t have a smirk on his face. 

“I used to do the same thing,” the blond started, and Theo tilted his head, his eyebrow raised in question. “Not eat,” Brett clarified, and Theo stiffened. He saw Derek turn slightly from his place at the register– him and Brett had switched off when rush hour had ended. “I did the same thing when my parents died.”

Theo’s shoulders were tight as he finished the protein bar. If he had known that hiring Brett would lead to a discussion about their pasts, he would’ve shoved him out the door the second he walked in. There was no one in the cafe, just Theo, Derek, Brett, and the tension suspended in the air around the three of them. 

“I didn’t ask about your life st–”

“Theo.”

Derek was giving him a look, one that Theo knew meant “you’re being a bigger asshole than usual.” He let out a small sigh, mumbling an apology to Brett. The tall blond didn’t seem hurt though, just _understanding_ , and it made Theo feel vulnerable, like he could hear all of his thoughts.

“You said used to,” Theo said abruptly, mostly to stop Brett from staring at him, “What changed?”

Brett exhaled, leaning back against the counter. His fingers tapped on the surface, and Theo could recognize an anxious gesture when he saw one. “My sister. She was so young, and me not eating wasn’t helping her. She needed a role model, and we only had each other. I didn’t want her seeing the only family she had left wasting away.”

And it was kind of weird. How they had met Brett only a few hours ago, but the blond was sharing his past with them. The weirder thing was that Theo felt something in him connect with Brett, like their shared trauma helped them bond. Was that fucked up? Probably, but Theo never claimed not to be fucked up. 

“My family died in a fire,” Derek said quietly, and Theo’s head snapped up. His friend didn’t talk about it often, _hated_ it actually, and him revealing it so soon after meeting Brett confirmed that Derek felt the same way Theo did about the blond. Clearly, trauma _was_ a good bonding factor. 

The other two both turned to him, like they were expecting him to say something. Theo rolled his eyes. “What, just cause you two shared something means I have to now, too?”

Derek’s cheek twitched, and Theo looked down at the floor. “My sister died, my parents decided I wasn’t good enough for them and dumped me at an orphanage.”

Theo looked up, and Derek obviously already knew, but his jaw was still slightly clenched. And Brett was looking at Theo that he suddenly understood everything about him, like that _one_ sentence made him fully transparent. 

“Well, fucked-up pasts are supposed to add spice to your life, right?” Brett finally said, breaking the silence, his mouth twisted up in a bitter smile, and Theo let out a snort.

“You’ll fit right in,” he said, throwing away his empty coffee cup. “Good to know we all have a shared need for therapy.”

Derek barked out a short laugh, and Brett’s smile turned genuine as he grinned widely. 

______________________________________

And Theo had been right– Brett _did_ fit right in. His slightly callous personality matched perfectly with Theo’s sardonic nature and Derek’s impassiveness. Though the trauma bonding they did on the first day did lay a foundation for actual friendship between them, and as days and weeks passed, Theo went from having one friend to two. And it was nice, to have someone else to hang out with, someone that shared Theo’s sarcasm and Derek’s blasé attitude. 

The door to the cafe opened, and Lori strolled in. Theo had gotten used to her coming in randomly since Brett started working at the cafe, and he genuinely liked her company. She also had a talent for keeping her brother in check, even though she was younger, so Theo wasn’t complaining that she comes by so often. It was why they stopped locking the door in the morning before they opened– Lori banging on the door at seven in the morning was _not_ something they wanted to deal with. 

“Hey, Theo, Derek,” Lori said, and they both gave her a quick salute. “Where’s Brett?”

“In the back,” Theo answered, and Brett must’ve heard his sister’s voice, because he came sauntering up to the counter a minute later. Theo and Derek were refilling the containers, but they both stopped when they heard Lori’s next words.

“I have a boyfriend.”

Theo looked at Brett, whose eyebrow was almost touching his hairline. 

“Oh?” Brett asked, crossing his arms over his chest as he stared at Lori. Derek and Theo exchanged smirks. The blond was pretty protective of his sister, so this was going to be fun to watch. “Who is he?”

“Alec. He’s cute,” Lori said bluntly, as she turned all her attention to the food display they had on the right side of the counter, clearly avoiding Brett’s eyes. “You’d like him.”

“I’ll be the judge of that,” Brett drawled, and Theo snickered, throwing an arm over his shoulder.

“Don’t listen to him, Lori,” he declared, “He’s probably just jealous that his younger sister has a boyfriend before him.”

Brett smacked the back of Theo’s head as Lori giggled. “How’d you meet this guy?

Lori blushed. “I may have spilled my milkshake on him at the mall.”

Derek and Theo both snorted, while Brett gave his sister an incredulous look. “And he still asked you out after that?”

“It was a meet-cute, okay? Not that I’d expect _you_ to understand what that means,” Lori retorted, glaring at Brett. “You all have the emotional range of a piece of grass.”

“ _Hey_ , don’t drag me into this, I’m on your side,” Theo interjected, “When are you bringing him in?”

“Bringing him in? You make it sound like he’s gonna be put on trial,” Lori responded, and Derek’s lips quirked up as Brett’s eyes lit up.

“You brought this on yourself,” Derek said with a smirk, “Make sure to tell him he’ll be judged by _all_ of us, who can all beat him up if necessary.”

“Don’t scare him away,” Lori whined, her eyes growing big. “He’s really nice.”

“If that’s the only thing you can say about your boyfriend, you shouldn’t be dating him,” Theo said, giving Lori a pointed look. 

“Oh, I have a _lot_ of things I can say,” she replied, a glint in her eye. “Like how he does this thing with his ha–”

“Lori, I might _actually_ kill him if you finish that sentence,” Brett said in a strained voice, and Derek and Theo cracked up. Theo walked over to the door to flip the sign over, signaling their opening. 

“I can’t believe _you’re_ the first one of all of us to get a boyfriend,” Theo muttered, “You’re like ten years younger than us.”

“I’m _two_ years younger than Brett, three years younger than you, and six years younger than Derek,” Lori emphasized, scowling at him. “And the only place you guys go is here. How do you expect to get a boyfriend, you think he’ll just run through the door?”

The door opened, a loud voice filling the empty cafe. “... I’m telling you, elixir makes it sound like they’re selling some shady stuff here, just _think_ about it.”

“Stiles, it’s a _cafe_ , they’re selling _coffee_ ,” the other guy said, his voice revealing that he’s probably been part of this debate for longer than he wanted to.

“But the na–” The dark-haired guy, or Stiles, broke off when he saw the four in the cafe staring at him. “Hey, are you guys selling coffee with drugs in it?”

Derek let out a quiet snort, before turning his back, ignoring his question. Stiles looked offended, and looked like he was about to go off on him, but the guy next to him suddenly spoke up.

“Theo?”

He exchanged a wary look with Brett, before turning back to face the guy who, now that Theo studied him, kind of looked familiar, almost like–

“Scott?”

Scott lit up, his grin widening as he walked up to the counter, and Stiles followed, his eyes widening in realization. “Where have you _been?_ I haven’t seen you since fourth grade, dude.”

“Theo? Theo _Raeken?_ ” Stiles cut in, and Theo nodded. “Dude, when did you get so _hot?_ You were a super skinny kid.”

Theo snorted, the tips of his ears turning slightly pink. Stiles always used to speak his mind, even when they were back in elementary school. _Clearly_ , that hasn’t changed.

“I moved,” he said, ignoring Stiles’ question to answer Scott’s. “But I came back when I turned eighteen.”

“This is a heartwarming reunion, really, it is,” Brett interjected with a drawl, “But are you two gonna order anything?”

Theo knew what he was doing. He was steering the conversation away from Theo’s past, and Theo had never been more grateful that Brett was his friend. 

“Oh, yeah, sorry,” Scott apologized, and he _really_ hadn’t changed one bit, Theo thought. Still the happy-go-lucky puppy that he was years ago. “I’m Scott, by the way.”

“Brett,” the blond next to him said, “And the guy who ignored your friend’s idiotic question is Derek.”

“ _Hey_ , it was not an idiotic question,” Stiles said defensively with red cheeks, “It’s a logical assumption based on the name.”

“You’re the first and _only_ person to make that assumption,” Derek responded, his voice blank as he leaned back against the counter. “So yes, it was an idiotic question.”

Theo gave his friend a look out of the corner of his eye. Derek didn’t engage in conversation when he didn’t need to, and the fact that he was willingly speaking to Stiles meant something. Then he noticed the way Derek’s jaw was slightly clenched, and it hit him. Oh, this was _priceless_. 

But he didn’t get to do anything about it, Stiles and Scott ordering and walking out with an excited _see you guys later_. Theo had a distinct feeling that things were about to change. A _lot._

“Hey Derek, what’d you think of them?” Theo asked casually, “Stiles is pretty fun, huh?”

Derek glowered at him. “Shut up,” he mumbled, and Theo, Brett, and Lori snickered. 

“Opposites really do attract, don’t they?” Brett teased, and Derek flipped him off. “Guess Lori was wrong, he won’t _run_ through the door, just walk.”

“Fuck off,” the older man said under his breath, “Or you’re fired.”

Yeah, like that was going to happen. 

______________________________________

Scott and Stiles became regulars at the cafe, coming in almost every morning before heading to Beacon Hills High, where they worked. And Theo started to remember why they were friends back in elementary school. Scott was a literal puppy– an ear-to-ear smile always on his face, his eyes bright as he talked with _everyone_. And Stiles was just as sarcastic as ever, matching Theo and Brett’s mocking with his own. So, Theo got used to them coming in, but they were always by themselves, so it took him by surprise when they walked in with a bunch of other people one day, the group loud as they opened the door. 

“Theo, Spiderman or Starlord?” Stiles blurted out as soon as he walked in, and Theo rolled his eyes. 

“Spiderman’s the only right answer, dumbass,” he replied, getting started on Scott’s regular drink as Derek got started on Stiles’. 

“ _See_ , Mason, you’re wrong,” the dark-haired guy said to the guy next to him with a pointed look, “How could you even _think_ of choosing Starlord over _Spiderman?_ ”

Just as Mason was about to answer, the door opened again and someone ran in, and Theo only caught a flash of blond hair as he rushed to where Scott and the rest of the group was sitting. 

“Scott, Deaton’s on my ass for not showing up the meeting yesterday, you don’t think he’ll fire me for it rig–”

“Liam Dunbar,” Brett drawled, and the blond stilled, looking at Brett with narrowed eyes.

“Brett.”

“You haven’t changed one bit. Still short, I see.”

“Still an asshole, I see,” Liam retorted, and everyone else glanced between them, catching onto the tension. The two glared at each other for another minute, and Theo exchanged a look with Scott, who seemed just as confused.

“Liam and I used to go to school together,” Brett explained, not taking his eyes off the other man. “You could say we were rivals.”

“Is it just me or are they giving off some serious sexual tension?” Stiles whispered in the quiet cafe, and Liam and Brett’s eyes widened. Theo had been thinking the same thing, which was unfortunate, cause Liam was kind of cute. Not that he’d admit that.

“Fuck no,” Liam scoffed. “He’s the last person in the world I’d fuck.”

Theo snorted, and bright blue eyes turned to look at him. Theo looked away from him, turning to his friend instead. “Guess your quest to find a boyfriend is still pending.”

Brett punched Theo’s arm, and hissed “ _Fuck off_.” 

“I’m Liam.” Theo twisted back to find Liam’s blue eyes still on him, and he nodded.

“Theo.” He looked at the large group of people sitting in the cafe. “I only know Scott and Stiles’ orders, so are the rest of you guys getting anything or not?”

He saw Liam still staring at him out of the corner of his eye and turned his back, letting Brett take their orders, and walked over to Derek, who was looking at him with a raised eyebrow. Great, he noticed it too. 

“You know he’s still looking at you, right?” Derek mumbled softly, his voice low so only Theo could hear it. “Brett’s quest might still be pending, but yours might not.”

Theo gave his best friend an unamused look. “Do you want me to bring up Stiles right now, or are you gonna shut up?”

Derek raised his hands in surrender as he turned around to bring Stiles his drink, the dark-haired guy grinning widely when he noticed. And if Derek’s ears turned slightly pink, well, Theo was kind of enough not to comment on it. At least for now.

“Do you guys all work with Scott and Stiles?” Theo asked, and Scott nodded.

“Yep, Lydia teaches english,” he said, gesturing at the strawberry-blond haired woman. “Malia’s the gym coach, along with me, Mason’s the chemistry teacher, and Liam here’s the history teacher.” The three gave short waves to the baristas, and Scott continued the introductions. “Theo was our best friend back in elementary school, until he moved away.”

“So you like Spiderman, Theo? Tom Holland’s Spiderman?” Mason asked him, and Theo leaned back against the counter. 

“Obviously, he’s hot,” Theo quipped, and hearing Stiles snicker, he turned to his childhood friend. “Don’t make me bring up your hopeless crush on Anakin.”

Stiles rolled his eyes. “Everyone had a crush on Anakin, he might be evil, but he’s still hot, and I still have eyes.”

“You’re hot, too,” Theo heard Liam blurt out, and he felt his cheeks darken when he noticed he was looking at _him_. 

“Subtle, Liam,” Mason teased, and the blond smacked his arm. 

“I’m– I left something in the… back,” Theo muttered, before getting out of there as fast as he could. He could hear Brett and Derek’s quiet laughs, and he knew that they’d make fun of him for this later. It’s not like people _didn’t_ flirt with him– he was conventionally attractive, and on the rare occasions he went out with Derek, he’d have girls and guys giving him their numbers. But something about Liam was different. When he first came in, Theo thought he was shy, but that was obviously not the case. He was blunt, and very _not subtle_ , and it threw Theo off. Stiles had said the same thing when he came in the first time, but Liam was _different_. 

By the time he came out of the back fifteen minutes later, the group had left, and Brett was giving him an amused look. 

“Didn’t think you were the shy type,” his friend drawled, and Theo flushed. “He spent the rest of the time asking about you, by the way.”

And now Theo was actually burning. “Fuck off, Brett.”

Derek smirked at him. “He ordered your special.”

Theo’s special was one that he invented, back when Cafe Elixir was just getting started. It was a latte, one that tended to be popular among teenagers and adults alike. 

“A lot of people order that, that doesn’t mean anything,” Theo retorted, grabbing a napkin to wipe the tables that the group had sat at. 

Derek hummed. “Maybe. But he only ordered it after he found out it was your special. Actually asked for a cappuccino before that.”

Theo was sure that the blood that kept rushing up to his face was getting tired of it. He sure was. 

______________________________________

Liam was now a regular, along with Stiles and Scott. The rest of the group popped in sometimes too, but Liam _always_ came. Theo tried not to wonder if it was because of him. 

“Your eyes are really pretty,” Liam said, as Theo rang up his order, and he felt a flush creeping up on his neck. 

“Thanks,” he mumbled, and the thing was, this wasn’t Theo. He was supposed to be stoic, supposed to be sarcastic, and take everything with his head held high. But Liam’s flirting was _shameless_ , and it made him retreat back into himself a little bit. He’d never been flirted with like _this_ , and he was thrown off his game. “Is that all for today?”

“Are you on the menu?”

Oh my _god_. Brett couldn’t hold back his laughter anymore, and snickers escaped his mouth, and Theo kind of wanted to disappear, because Scott, Stiles, and Derek were all looking at him too, wide smirks on their faces. 

“Uh, no,” Theo stammered, trying to fight his blush, but it was a losing battle. His cheeks were permanently stained red whenever Liam was close by. 

“Too bad, I think you’d taste good,” Liam drawled, and Theo thinks he just died. 

“Okay, Liam, leave poor Theo alone,” Scott cut in, his grin revealing his amusement despite his words, “You might actually kill him.”

“Have a nice day,” Theo muttered as he handed Liam his coffee, and the blond made sure that their hands brushed when he grabbed it, giving Theo a bright smile before he left with the other two men. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you that timid,” Derek told him after the door closed behind them.

“You’re a secret softie, aren’t you?” Brett teased, and Theo held back the urge to punch him in the face. “I’ve never seen Liam shamelessly flirting like that. _Ever_.”

But before Theo could respond, Lori walked in, dragging someone behind her. _Alec_.

“Alec, meet Brett, Theo, and Derek. I know they look like assholes, and that’s cause they are,” Lori introduced, and Alec gave the three men a small wave, clearly scared.

“So, Alec,” Brett drawled, and the boy flinched at his name, “what are your intentions with my sister?”

“Um…” The dark haired boy looked like he was going to throw up, and Theo took pity on him.

“Lori likes you, which means we like you,” Theo declared, but his eyes hardened as he said the next words. “For now. Cause the second you do something to hurt her…”

He let his threat trail off, and Alec visibly gulped, and nodded furiously. Lori grabbed his hand, running a thumb over his knuckles as she glared at them. 

“I told you _not_ to scare him.”

“Well, that’s our job, Lori,” Brett answered, his arms crossed over his chest. “So deal with it.”

“Let’s go,” Lori said to Alec, pulling him towards the door, “These assholes are annoying.”

For a second, Theo thought that she was actually mad at them, but she gave them a wave as they left, and he realized that she probably just wanted to be alone with Alec. 

“You wanna talk about it?” Derek said suddenly, and Theo gave him a wary look.

“Talk about what?”

“Why you close up every time Liam comes in,” his friend said, raising his eyebrow. “Or why you don’t get his number even though you’re both clearly interested.”

Theo sighed, running a hand through his hair. No, he didn’t really wanna talk about it, but he knew that Derek’s question wasn’t really a question. “You’ve seen him, he’s literally a puppy, like a mini-Scott. We won’t work, I’m not like that.”

“You mean you’re too fucked up for him,” Brett interjected, his mouth tight. “That’s bullshit.”

“No it’s not,” Theo let out a humorless laugh, “It’s true, and it’s better if I just… ignore him and his flirting.”

“Better for who?” Derek asked, and Theo caught the low warning in his tone. “Cause to me it looks like you’re just making it worse. For you _and_ him.”

“Just… drop it,” Theo breathed out, rubbing his temple when he felt the beginnings of a headache start. 

“If you run away from everyone that tries to get close to you, you’re gonna be running forever. And all you’ll end up achieving at the end is making sure you’re alone,” Derek said before turning back to what he was doing before, leaving Theo’s head spinning. 

______________________________________

Theo should’ve known his friends would pull something like this. Stiles always had a knack for butting his head in other people’s business, and Derek and Brett would’ve been all too willing to go through with this. On the plus side, he saw Stiles and Derek kiss before walking away from the door, so at least he’d be able to poke fun at Derek after he got out. 

He was locked in. In the cafe. With Liam. 

Theo was currently drawing up some very graphic ways to murder his friends when he got out of here in his head. He was sitting with his elbows on the table, his head in his hands. He felt Liam sit across from him, and he tensed. 

“Do I make you uncomfortable?”

Theo’s head snapped up, not expecting that. The blond was looking at Theo with a serious expression on his face, a stark contrast to the smile Theo always saw him with. “No.”

“So you’re not interested,” Liam concluded, and Theo picked up the hint of hurt in his voice, and something twisted in his chest.

“I– I’m not _not_ interested,” he finally said after a few moments, and Liam gave him a weird look.

“So why do you keep ignoring me, then? Did I do something wrong?” 

“No,” Theo blurted out, not wanting Liam to think it was his fault. No, the blame for this was all on him. “I’m… I’m sorry. This isn’t your fault.”

Liam leaned back in his chair, his eyes roaming Theo’s face. “Do you wanna talk about it? I know I don’t look like it, but I’m actually a pretty good listener.”

Theo’s lips quirked up, and Liam gave him an encouraging smile. “I– I didn’t have the best childhood. And that’s an understatement,” he said slowly, keeping his gaze focused on the table between them. “My parents didn’t really want me, and when my sister… passed away, they dropped me at an orphanage and left. I don’t know where they went, haven’t seen them for over a decade now.”

Theo felt a hand on his, and he looked up to see Liam’s hand covering his, a sympathetic look on his face. He let himself enjoy the warm feeling that spread up from his hand to his arm to his chest. “I’ve gotten used to people leaving, and I try to make them leave on purpose sometimes so I don’t have to watch them leave. Because they always do when they really get to know me.”

He shrugged, trying not to let it show how much it hurt when that happened. Theo didn’t date around a lot, and the two relationships he’s had both ended when the other person decided that he was too fucked up. 

“Theo,” Liam said quietly, and he turned his head back to the blond, “I know you’re scared. But not everyone leaves.”

“They do when it comes to me,” Theo said with a blank face, trying his best not to reveal the thoughts floating around in his head.

“What about Derek? And Brett? And Scott and Stiles?” Liam pressed, “They know you. And they’re not leaving, are they?”

“Well that’s differe–”

“No, it’s not,” Liam interrupted him, slightly irritated, “You’re not this– this _unlovable_ person that you think you are, Theo. You’re enough, just the way you are.”

The words hit Theo hard. _You’re enough_. “Liam–”

“I have IED.” Theo broke off, staring at Liam, whose eyes had glazed over. “Intermittent explosive disorder. A lot of people just call it anger issues, but it’s more than that. And whenever I have an episode, right after, the only thing I can think is that I’m a monster. That all I’m good for is being angry.”

“Liam, tha–”

“I know it’s not true,” Liam said, not letting him finish. “I know that _now_ , but that doesn’t change what I feel right after exploding. That I’m fucked up, that no one deserves to have to deal with me, that I’m not worth the trouble.”

Well, _fuck_. If those weren’t Theo’s daily thoughts. 

“You’re not the only one who’s been through some shit, and going through shit doesn’t mean you have to hide from everyone, run away when people get too close,” Liam continued, and Theo felt his chest tighten. “The only solution to the problem is letting people _in_.”

Theo exhaled sharply, meeting Liam’s eyes. He stared back, and it should be awkward or tense, but it _wasn’t_. It just felt… nice. Like they were understanding each other, communicating without words.

Theo stood up, breaking their staring contest. “C’mon, there should be an extra set of keys in the back. Let’s get out of here.”

“Did you know they were there the whole time?” Liam asked him, a hint of amusement slipping into his voice as he followed Theo to the back.

“No.” _Yes._

______________________________________

The door opened, and Theo didn’t have to look up from his phone to know who it was– the only people who showed up at 7:30 in the morning on the dot every single day.

He got started on Liam’s drink, while Derek and Brett did Stiles and Scott’s. He was listening to Liam rant about some kid that somehow thought he could pull off copying his entire essay from Wikipedia when the door opened and Lori walked in with Alec and another guy. Brett looked up, and Theo felt his friend tense.

“Hey guys, this is Nolan, he’s one of Alec’s friends,” Lori introduced the new guy, and he gave everyone a small wave. But then he turned, and his gaze landed on Brett, his eyes widening.

“You’re the guy from the store,” Nolan blurted out, and Brett’s cheeks darkened. “You _asshole_ , I had to spend hours washing off the glitter you spilt on me.”

Theo raised an eyebrow, giving Brett a curious glance. The blond looked like he wanted to disappear, and that’s when Theo realized that he _liked_ Nolan. Brett’s way of flirting came off as him being a douchebag most of the time, and he snorted when he picked up on Brett’s mumbled apology. 

But Nolan seemed to feel the same way, or at least felt _something_ , because he walked up to Brett and started up a conversation, as everyone else went back to their own. Theo and Derek exchanged smirks– maybe Brett’s quest would _finally_ stop pending. 

Theo finished up Liam’s drink, handing it to the man across the counter. “Is that all for today?” he asked, even though he knew there was nothing else. Liam had gotten the same thing since he first stepped in the cafe.

“Are you on the menu?”

The corner of Theo’s mouth quirked up, a slight blush in his cheeks. He knew everyone was looking at them, he had heard the talking quiet down. But he kind of didn’t care anymore.

“Maybe, who’s asking?”

Liam’s lips widened into a grin, his eyes twinkling as he put his drink down. 

The next thing Theo knew, his shirt was in Liam’s fists, and he was being pulled across the counter. Soft lips pressed into his, and he grinned softly as he kissed Liam back.

He heard the _finally_ from Brett and Stiles, could hear the cheering in the background, but he ignored all of it.

Liam’s lips were on his, and that’s all that mattered.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a short little addition to this fic because this universe is too fun for me NOT to write another chapter– I hope you guys like it!

“You’re fired.”

Theo snickered, wiping down a table as Brett started protesting, but Derek didn’t budge.

“It was just a _small_ prank, you can’t _fire_ me for that,” Brett whined, “And you _need_ me.”

Derek crossed his arms over his chest, giving the blond a hard glare. “Your _small_ prank made Stiles spill his _hot_ coffee all over me.”

“How was I supposed to know that he’d do _that?_ ” Brett asked, exasperated as he threw his arms up.

“Maybe because you put the blow horn _right_ next to his ear?” Theo drawled, making his way back to the counter. “I don’t know about you, but I think that certifies the reaction Stiles had.”

“Okay, _fine_ ,” Brett relented, “It was my fault, and I’m _sorry_. Don’t fire me.” He gave Derek a hopeful glance, but the older man just rolled his eyes.

“I’m not _actually_ firing you. And besides,” Derek’s lips twitched up, “Stiles said his revenge would be more than enough to punish you for it.”

Brett blanched, as a laugh burst out of Theo. Stiles’ pranks were something they had all heard about– apparently the teachers of Beacon Hills have had _numerous_ experiences with the dark-haired algebra teacher. 

The cafe was closed for the day, but the bell on the door chimed as it opened, and all three of them turned around to find everyone making their way through the door (everyone being all of the teachers, Alec, Lori, Nolan, and Corey, Mason’s boyfriend). This was becoming more and more of a common occurrence– all of them finding their way to the cafe after work, and a few months ago, Theo probably would’ve been _pissed_ , but now he genuinely enjoyed the evenings with his friends. 

“Theo, Winter Soldier or War Machine?” Stiles blurted out as soon as he entered, and Theo’s lips quirked up. The Marvel this or that had become a tradition between them over the last few months, and it pissed Stiles off to no end that no matter who the other person was, Theo would _always_ choose–

“Bucky. For the _last_ time,” Theo said, rolling his eyes, “you can’t get me to choose _anyone_ other than Bucky.”

Stiles groaned as he flopped into a seat. “Your loyalty to Bucky Barnes should be illegal.”

Theo smirked, leaning in to give Liam a quick kiss as the blond made his way up to him. “How was work?” he asked the younger man, and Liam grumbled. 

“My juniors keep pestering me about you. Ever since Stiles walked in last week and loudly announced that you were surprising me with a date, they’ve been _relentless_.”

Theo threw Stiles a dirty look. The date was _supposed_ to be a surprise, but apparently he couldn’t even tell _Derek_ anything anymore, because it got to Stiles, who told Liam immediately. Stiles gave him a bright grin, and Theo flipped him off as he turned back to Liam. 

“What do they want to know?”

Liam hopped up to sit on the counter and swung his legs around so that Theo was now standing in between them. “Your name, what you look like, probably your social security number too.”

Theo chuckled, placing his hands on either side of Liam and leaning in closer. “You show them a picture?” he whispered as he brushed their lips together. He vaguely remembered that all of their friends were in the room, but they were all just as bad with the PDA, so they had no right to say anything. 

“No,” Liam responded, his arms falling onto Theo’s shoulders, looping around his neck. “Didn’t know if you wanted me to.”

Theo pulled back, catching Liam’s hesitant look. “Liam, this isn’t a _secret_. If you want to show your students a picture of us, you can. I’m not gonna yell fuck you and break up with you.”

Liam’s lips twitched and he pulled Theo forward into a chaste kiss. “Okay, I’ll show them tomorrow. Hopefully that’ll get them off my back, at least for a few days.”

Theo grinned, and stepped back from his boyfriend. “Did Stiles say anything about what he was gonna do to Brett?” Liam’s face lit up, and he dragged Theo back in to whisper Stiles’ plan in his ear.

Theo’s mouth slowly curved up.

______________________________________

This was probably the most impulsive thing Theo had ever done. 

Brett and Derek had just given him twin smirks when he said that he was going to the school, and Theo flipped them both off. The idea came to him a few hours after Liam had told him about his students pestering him about Theo, and as much as he used to be flustered when it came to Liam at the beginning, Theo wasn’t one to get embarrassed that easily, contrary to Liam. 

He hoped his boyfriend would appreciate the long ten minute journey he was making to surprise him and his class (and if he didn’t, Theo brought coffee to calm him down just in case). 

Theo entered the school, immediately running into Scott, who gave him a confused look. 

“Theo? What are you doing here?” Scott asked, his brows furrowing.

“Surprising Liam,” Theo answered, a smirk pulling at his lips. “And his students.”

Scott’s eyes widened as understanding dawned on him, and he snickered. “Liam might kill you.”

Theo’s smirk grew wider. “That’s what the coffee’s for.” Scott shook his head in disbelief, before giving him a good luck and continuing through the hallway. Theo walked as quietly as he could through the silent hallway, his eyes roaming the doors to find Liam’s classroom. When he finally found the _Mr. Dunbar_ on one of the doors, he stopped and took a deep breath. He sent a quick prayer upward (even though he was atheist) that Liam wouldn’t be furious with him, and opened the door.

Thirty pairs of eyes turned to him, but Theo was only focused on one. Liam’s mouth was open, mid-sentence, but he trailed off as he caught sight of Theo. 

“Hey, special coffee delivery?” Theo drawled, leaning against the doorway casually. 

Liam kept staring, his mouth opening and closing as he tried to find what to say. He finally settled on, “What are _you_ doing here?”

Theo’s lazy smile widened, pulling his cheeks up. “Are you that rude to _all_ of your boyfriends? Or just me?”

Gasps echoed in the room, and Theo’s grin grew impossibly wider at Liam’s slightly tinted cheeks. Clearly, Liam hadn’t shown the picture of them yet. Theo pushed off the door and sauntered into the room, grabbing Liam’s hand and placing the coffee cup into it. 

Liam gaped at him, his face now completely red. Theo was just about to comment on it when a voice cut through the whispers that had started ever since Theo had said _boyfriend_.

“Your boyfriend’s a _barista,_ Mr. Dunbar?” some kid asked, and Liam broke out of his daze to turn to her, along with Theo. “You get like, _unlimited_ coffee whenever you want, that’s _so_ not fair.”

Theo snickered, as Liam placed the coffee on his desk, before turning back to Theo. “What are you _actually_ doing here?” he whispered hastily, but there was really no point, the students were _completely_ invested in the two men, their stares the opposite of subtle. 

Theo ruffled his hair a little, causing Liam to squawk and swat his hand away, while multiple _aww_ ’s erupted from the classroom. “Just wanted to surprise you, _Mr. Dunbar_. And I know you get tired around this time, so, _caffeine_ ,” Theo answered, gesturing to the coffee on the desk. But Liam heard the real answer underneath Theo’s words– that Theo knew that this was the time Liam taught the juniors.

“Well, _thank_ you,” Liam rushed out, his ears turning pink at the continued _aww_ ’s coming from his students, “But I still have a lesson to teach, so, _shoo_.” He began pushing Theo towards the door, and Theo laughed at the protests from the kids.

“Are you _sure_?” Theo asked, joy evident in his voice. “I’m still on break for another five minutes.”

“ _Yes_ ,” Liam spit out as he kept pushing, ignoring his students’ complaints. He lowered his voice, so only Theo could hear it. “We’re having a _long_ chat about surprise visits tonight.”

Theo let out a breathy laugh and nodded, because Liam’s voice was _anything_ but innocent, but the last thing he wanted to do was let the _kids_ know that. “Bye!” he exclaimed with a wave to the classroom, before Liam shut the door in his face. Theo snorted, before turning around and making his way out of the school. 

Derek’s eyebrow was raised as he entered the cafe fifteen minutes later. “How’d surprising Liam go?”

Theo smirked as he slipped on his apron. “He turned completely red and shoved me out the door.”

Brett snorted as he worked on a latte. “If I know Liam,” the blond began, giving Theo a pointed look, “And I _do,_ he said something under his breath that got you hot and bothered.”

Theo’s eyes widened, and Derek grinned. “Did you guys _actually_ date in high school?” Theo asked, because Brett sure knew a _lot_ about Liam for someone was apparently his _rival_.

“No,” Brett answered, his lips curving up as he put the finishing touches on the drink he was preparing. “But someone I used to know did. And I got all the juicy details about Liam.”

Theo’s brow almost touched his hairline. “I still don’t believe you.”

“I don’t either,” Derek chimed in, and Brett flipped them both off under the counter. 

______________________________________

“I hate you,” Liam blurted out as he entered the cafe in the evening, and Theo looked up from the syrup containers he was refilling. “I hate you _so_ much.”

The rest of the group strolled in, snickering. Clearly, they had heard about Theo’s surprise visit from Liam already. 

“Can’t I surprise my boyfriend at work?” Theo pouted, and Liam narrowed his eyes at him.

“ _Fuck_ _you_ ,” Liam said, and Theo’s lips quirked up. “They didn’t do _anything_ for the rest of class. I couldn’t even get a _word_ in before _someone_ interrupted and asked me something about you.”

Theo couldn’t hold back his laughter anymore, and everyone else joined in, Liam flipping all of them off. “It can’t have been _that_ bad.”

“Oh, it _was_ ,” Liam hissed, walking over to Theo. “They’re so _nosy_ , why can’t they ask that many questions about the _actual_ lesson?”

Malia snorted. “Because your love life is a hundred times more interesting than some obscure battle that happened two hundred years ago. At least your love life doesn’t make them memorize a billion random dates that they’ll never need in their life.” 

Liam squawked at the shade towards his subject, and Theo ruffled his hair, hoping to calm him down, but it just riled him up even more. “And _that_!” Liam barked, pushing Theo’s hand away. “I can’t believe you did that _in_ _front of all my students_.”

“Oh calm down,” Brett said, rolling his eyes, “It’s not like you guys kissed.”

Liam snarled at Brett, throwing a balled-up napkin at him. “Shut up, this doesn’t concern you.”

Brett smirked, but raised his hands in surrender as Liam whipped back to Theo, who leaned in to give him a kiss. 

Liam melted into the kiss, but jerked back, as if suddenly remembering something. “I’m still mad at you,” Liam accused, and Theo leaned again. 

“No you’re not,” Theo whispered. “You were the one who said that a picture might get them off your back for a few days. This might get them off for a few _weeks_.”

Liam tried to keep up the pretense of being angry, but Theo trailed a finger down his face, brushing his lips, and Liam’s mouth parted. 

“ _Okay_ ,” Stiles cut in, “Save that for the bedroom. We’re all still here, if you forgot.”

Theo pulled back, giving Stiles the finger as he sat up on the counter. Stiles gave him a pointed look, and Theo’s eyes widened slightly when he realized what was going on. He tried not to smile as Mason (who Stiles had recruited for the prank, because Stiles getting up would be _way_ too obvious) slinked away from the group, taking something out of his pocket as he made his way to Brett. 

Brett didn’t realize what was happening until it started, Mason pouring multiple bags of glitter onto the blond. Brett sputtered as some of it went into his mouth, and he jerked forward, only for Stiles to immediately spray him with silly string. Nolan, who was let in on the plan solely to make sure Brett didn’t find out (and he was surprisingly okay with it; Theo guessed that it had something to do with their first meeting in the grocery store), leapt away from his boyfriend, letting Stiles and Mason do their thing as Brett groaned. 

When the attack finally stopped, the group pulled their phones out to take as many pictures as they could. 

“This is the perfect picture for employee of the month,” Theo snickered, “Don’t you think so, Derek?”

Brett blinked his eyes open slowly, giving Theo an annoyed look. “I hate all of you,” he muttered, turning to Stiles. “Especially you.”

Stiles grinned, still taking pictures. “That’s what you get for trying to out-prank the master,” Stiles teased, and Theo saw Derek’s lips twitch at the childish joy on his boyfriend’s face. 

“Hey, you know what this reminds me of?” Liam said suddenly, and even through all of the glitter and silly string on Brett’s face, Theo saw his eyes widen.

“Liam, I _swear_ –”

“That day you got drunk and let the whole lacrosse team thro–”

Brett _lunged_ , and Liam squeaked as he ducked behind Theo, who gave Brett a pointed look when he tried to get around him. 

“You can’t stop like _that_ ,” Stiles whined, and Liam’s head popped up from behind Theo, a wide grin on his face. 

“He let the lacrosse team throw glitter at him because the girl he liked _loved_ glitter. He was trying to impress her.”

Brett physically _growled_ as the group cracked up, Theo’s mouth stretching into a smile. “I’m gonna _kill_ you, Liam.”

“No, you won’t,” Liam taunted, his arms wrapping around Theo’s waist. “Your boss is my boyfriend.”

Theo snickered as Brett growled again, and leaned back into Liam’s embrace. 

He’d never get tired of these people.


End file.
